BC-B Fire Company wants funding from municipalities
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BEECH CREEK -- Beech Creek-Blanchard (BC-B) Fire Company hosted a public meeting at the fire company's social hall on Wednesday evening to inform residents of their funding needs and to educate those who may not be familiar with what is commonly referred to as the "fire tax" which municipalities can add to local property tax bills that is then given directly to the fire company. Those funds are used by the fire companies to upgrade and maintain their fire fighting apparatus so that the volunteer responders can adequately provide the residents and business owners with fire protection and emergency medical services.
BC-B Fire Company, also referred to as Clinton County Station 9, provides primary coverage to Beech Creek Borough, as well as the townships of Beech Creek and Liberty, and also to the community of Orviston which is located in Curtin Township. BC-B Fire Company also provides basic life support ambulance services to Howard Borough and the areas of Howard and Marion Townships.
The majority of those in attendance at the meeting were BC-B Fire Company members. In addition to local residents, representatives from nearby Howard Fire Company were also on hand to support their fire fighting comrades. Supervisors from all of the townships attended the meeting as well as Beech Creek Borough Council President Billy Kessinger.
Fire Company President Daryl Geyer and Fire Chief Jim Watson provided information to support the fire company's request of adding a one mil increase to the tax bills of property owners. Attorney Rod Beard of Beard Law Company in Bellefonte also provided a few remarks in explanation of the fire company's request for tax funding from the municipalities.
According to Beard, the townships are governed by the regulations of a Second Class Township Code, wherein Section 1553 of that code states (a) that the township shall be responsible for ensuring that fire and emergency medical services are provided within the township by the means and to the extent determined by the township, including appropriate funding and administrative costs for these services, and (b) the township shall consult with fire and emergency medical service providers to discuss the emergency services needs of the township.
Beard is the attorney that had been hired last year by Walker Township Fire Company to help with negotiations to secure fire tax funding and written contracts with the municipal officials of Walker Township.
Geyer and Watson began the meeting by giving an overview of BC-B's mission statement, fleet of apparatus, fire company and ambulance responses to incidents and man power training hours expected of their volunteers. Watson, who grew up in Milesburg has lived with his family in Beech Creek since 1999, has been the BC-B fire chief since 2012.
"Beech Creek-Blanchard Fire Company's primary response area encompasses approximately 120 square miles. Last year the fire company and/or ambulance service responded to about 380 emergency calls. So far in 2023 there has been close to 500 emergency calls that we've responded to," said Watson.
BC-B Fire Company currently has about 25-30 active members involved.
The proposed fire tax that the fire company is requesting would generate funds for the purpose of replacing (upgrading) apparatus on a rotating replacement plan so that none of the apparatus would be more than 20 years old, making those units more dependable and safer for use and repair parts would be easier to obtain for them. By current real estate assessed values provided by each of the tax offices, a one mil fire tax would generate roughly $128,882 a year towards the fire company's plan of replacing apparatus.
For those property owners who want to know what that additional mil would cost, the charge is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed real estate value. (An example is that if your property is assessed at $60,000 then your fire tax for one mil would be $60 annually). Residents can call the Clinton or Centre County Assessment Office to learn more about the impact the mil increase would mean for their own tax bills.
Currently the fire company owns an engine, two tankers, a brush truck, an ATV unit and an ambulance. Both tankers are nearly 30 years old. Even if funds were not a problem, it would take about three years for an apparatus dealership to build a new unit and have it delivered to a fire department. "In all likelihood, BC-B Fire Company would look at buying used pieces of apparatus," Watson said.
The organization's General Fund income is received by way of ambulance billings, donation request letters, social hall rentals and other fundraisers. These funds are used to pay normal bills like electric, phone, water, sewer, etc. The fire company also routinely applies for grants each year, and just recently were awarded debt reduction grants to pay down on the loan still outstanding on the new fire station building that was built and occupied in 2016. In addition to the fire station building, the fire company also has a social hall building and now owns the neighboring Beech Creek Post Office property.
Watson brought up the ISO rating codes that are used by insurance companies in determining premiums. Beech Creek Borough's protection class code is low, in the areas of 4-8, which means that fire insurance premiums are cheaper because the fire station is close by, there are hydrants within 1,000 feet that supply an adequate water supply. However, areas (in Curtin and Beech Creek Townships) that are located more than five miles from the fire station where no hydrants are, are considered to be in protection class 9 or even a 10, which are considered "unprotected" because it would take the fire department longer to get there, and once they've used their initial tanker supply of water more time would be needed to set up dump tanks or to draft and transport water from nearby creeks. In these areas, neighbors may not be close enough to spot smoke or flames to summon help, and often times the lanes or roads in these remote areas are unpaved and unplowed. Homeowners in the unprotected areas do not qualify for premium discounts as those who live closer to the station and hydrants do. Residents can check with their homeowners insurance carriers to easily identify the protection class areas of their homes.
The fire company is expecting community members to partner with them to continue to stay financially sound. Watson said that he has heard the rumors going around that the fire company is broke because of building the new station and buying the Beech Creek Post Office building and property.
"The fire company is not broke. We are in a good financial condition right now, but looking ahead to five, ten or more years we won't know. We need to act now so that we continue to stay in a good financial position and have consistent, guaranteed monies for replacing apparatus when necessary," Watson said.
BC-B Fire Company representatives have been attending the monthly meetings of the borough and the three townships asking for the tax increase, so that the fire company can better budget to be able to afford the maintenance and eventual purchase of newer firefighting equipment that will be needed.
According to Curtin Township Supervisor Rick Miller, "Curtin Township has a lot of camps and mobile homes in the township that have very low general tax rates, but that other property owners with homes or acreage are taxed at a higher rate. Those with camps and mobile homes don't pay anywhere close to what someone living in the township with a higher assessed property value would pay."
Curtin Township Supervisor Jeff Harter would like to see Centre County and Clinton County Government enact a set rate, possibly $25, for each property owner on their tax bill to more fairly fund the BC-B and Howard fire companies' needs.
Liberty Township Supervisor Stan Donahay is concerned about the impact that adding the tax would have on the older, retired residents of the community. "We're on a fixed income and a lot of people don't have it," Donahay said.
Borough Council President Billy Kessinger thanked everyone for coming to the meeting, "It shows you care. I'm disappointed that more of my fellow council members weren't here this evening to learn more about the fire company's concern and the decisions that will need to be discussed and made about this."
When asked what the fire company would do if they were only offered half of a mil instead of the full mil they are requesting, Geyer replied with "that's a start... and we can negotiate from there."
BC-B Fire Company officials are hoping to continue to have discussions and negotiations with each of the municipality representatives. Geyer has been trying to attend the borough and township meetings regularly in the past months and will strive to attend future meetings to keep the lines of communication open between the fire company and the borough and township officials.
Residents are encouraged to attend their local borough and township meetings to give their input on the proposed tax.